Dr. Van Nostrand aims to understand how signaling pathways involved in the energetic and metabolic stress responses prevent cancer. She will generate mouse models harboring specific mutations that prevent the stress response, and evaluate the effects of these mutations on lung cancer development. Furthermore, using exercise and caloric restriction, she will elicit the metabolic stress response in these animals to understand how energetic stresses prevent cancer development and progression. This work will both expand knowledge of how cells respond to energy stress and metabolic changes to suppress tumorigenesis and aid in establishing effective preventative and therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.